Hermann oehme



UNITED STAT I I PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN OEHME, OF COLOGNE-ON-THE-RHINE. GERMANY. ASSIGNOR. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS. TO THE CHEMICAI FOUNDATION. INCL. A-CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF DINITROGLYCOL AND ITS HOMOLOGUES.

No Drawing.

'/'0 all whom it may cmmern Be it known that l. Hummus ()EHME. a citizen of the German Republic, residing at tologne-onthe-Rhine (irern'uiny. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Process for the Preparation of Dinitroglycol and Its Homologues, of which the following is a specification.

Ethylene or similar unsaturated gaseous hydrocarbons treated with a mixture of concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids yield oils of a yellowish color and explosive har acter which possess high blasting power.=

They may be employed in the place of nitro' glycerin, because these oils are especially suitable for the preparation of dynamite-like products or For gelatinization with nitrated cellulose.

It has been observed that the oils at'ter standing for some length of time deposit an amorph .-i i.-- substance. At the same time the oils tui n acid and the acid reaction gradually increases until they no longer show the stability test prescribed. The decomposition can be deterred for a long time by the addition'ot the stabilizing means of common use.

I have, found that these oils behave altogether differently from nitroglycerin, dinitrogl 'col and similar compounds when treated with solutions of the carbonates or bicarbonates of alkali metals.

on digesting the oils with aqueous alkaline solutions the temperature of the mass rises more or less according to the concentration of the alkaline solutions. Gradually a solid sub tuner is precipitated, the amount of \VllitlliEOII'QSPOIHlS to the quantity of the alkali usedl. By filtration. pressing or extraction a fraction of the quantity of the oil originally employed is recovered in a puritied state. i

I also noticed the rather surprising fact. that when eniziloying specific quantities ol an alkali carbmate or bicarbonate an oil is recovered, which shows altogether ditteront properties compared with the original oil. The quantiti s of alkalis correspond to their chemical equivalents.

The purified oil is neutral anddoes not alter its own )osition on standing. It also stands the stability tests. I indicated by elc mental-y analysis and by determination of the molecular weight that I had before me a. totally different compound. Whereas the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application filed June 27, 1919. Serial No. 307,234.

original oil of nitratcd ethylene contains lhllf-t' nitrogen and has a molecular weight of 168, the nitrated ethylene treated with an alkaline solution only contains 18.21% nitrogen and has a molecular weight of 158. Further investigations of the substance convinced me that the purified oil consisted of dinitroglycol. Although its theoretical molecular weight in a pure state is 152. dinitroglycol has a tendency to form associations during the determination of its molecular weight which was proved by repeated determinations of pure dinitroglycol which yielded figures differing from 155) to H32.

in an analogous manner I can prepare from the nitrated products of hi her homologucs of unsaturated hydrocarbons the nitro compounds of the correspoiuling higher glycolS.

As mentioned above. T can recover the purified oil by filtration, pressing or extraction. In the aqueous solution there remains besides the solid substances nearly all the alkali applied in the form ol' an alkali-metal nitrate. The solid substance is nearly insoluble in all the solvents usually employed. It contains nitrogen and nu1cl1.cnrbon and exhibits no explosive properties.

Preferably the concentration of the alkaline solutions should not be too strong. as otherwise the temperature rises too high. The properties of the recovered purified oil are not influenced by the changing coucentration of the alkali.

ll sodium bicarbonate be enipolyed. if

need not apply a solution. but can apply a. suspension with an equally good result.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire lo secure by Letters Patent, is

t. A process for the preparation oi dinitroglycol and its lioluologlu's consisting in carbonate.

treating the nitrated product obtained by the action ofa nitratingaci'd on an unsat-- urated hydrocarbon with an alkali metal 2. A- process for the reparation of dinitroglycol and its home ogues consisting in treating the nitrated product obtained by the action of a nitrating acid on an unsaturated gaseous hydrocarbon, with a solution of an alkali-metal carbonate, eentially as described. r

3. A process for the preparation of dinitroglycol and its homologues consisting in treating the nitrabed product obtained by the action of a nitratin acid on an unsat- --urated aseous hydrocar n, with asolution of an a ali-metal bicarbonate, essentially as described. 7 v y y 4. A process for the reparation of dinitroglycol and its homo ogues consisting in treatm the nitrated product obtained by the action of a nitrating acid on an unsaturated gaseous hydrocarbon, with a suspension of sodium bicarbonate in water, essentially as described.

HERMANN OEHME. 

